Six men detained for more than 12 years at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and then sent to Montevideo have upset Uruguay’s government after officials offered them jobs — and they said no.
President Jose Mujica agreed to help resettle the ex-inmates as a goodwill gesture, The Associated Press reported. But a labor union in the country said the men have turned down several job offers. And now Mr. Mujica is characterizing them as somewhat lazy.
He made a personal visit to the homes of five of the men to encourage them to accept one of the jobs they’d be offered by a local union, but left disillusioned with their work ethic, telling a local radio station that they were about as different from hard-working Uruguayan nationals as they could get.
“If these people were humble people of the desert, poor people, they’d surely be stronger and more primitive, but they’re not,” he said, AP reported. “Through their hands, features and family histories, it seems to me that they’re middle class.”
The criticisms come on the heels of State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf claiming that the long-term solution to fighting terrorism is to provide would-be terrorists with job opportunities.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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